He wasn’t sure what he was expecting but it wasn’t the laughter he got. “I think I’ve slipped into the twilight zone without realizing it,” Drake spluttered.
“You’re okay with it?” Finn was taken aback.
“With everything else that’s happened today, I don’t think I care.”
“So you’ll let me help you?”
“Why not? I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Twenty-Nine
Sam hated paperwork. He loved his job, but he hated the paperwork that came with it. And now that they’d identified their serial killer, there was a ton of it. Although he was still not allowed to deal with anything relating to the assault on Maria, he could still work the serial killer case despite it being the same offender, except for where the cases crossed over. If he could stop the damn phone ringing, he thought, as it rang for what seemed like the umpteenth time in as many minutes.
“Homicide,” he snapped as he picked it up.
“There’s someone downstairs to see you.” the officer on reception duty announced. “A Mr. Drake Driscoll.”
He was surprised, but pleased. One of the things they still had to do was track him down and speak to him about his prints being in a murder victim’s apartment. Him coming to them saved them a few man hours. “Okay, thanks. Tell him someone will be right down, will you?”
“Steve,” he called across the room once he’d put the phone down. “Our luck just gets better and better. Drake Driscoll just walked in downstairs, asking to speak to us. Can you do it? I’m drowning in paperwork here.”
“Sorry, I would but I’ve got a pile of stuff here to get through myself.” Steve grinned, not looking sorry at all.
Sam sighed. “Fine, I’ll do it. I seem to do everything around here anyway,” he grumbled, pushing his chair back and getting up. He did seem to be doing all the heavy lifting on this case, despite the fact that Steve was supposed to be helping him.
Taking the stairs, he jogged down the two flights of stairs to the front desk, immediately spotting Drake. The officer who’d called up hadn’t mentioned anyone else and he was surprised to see him sitting and talking in a low voice to a man next to him.
“Hi, I’m Detective Sam Abbott,” he said as he approached. “I’m glad you’re here. We’ve been wanting to talk to you.” He looked at the man next to him. “And you are?”
“I’m Finn Groves. Chief of police of Brecon Point.”
Sam raised his eyebrows at this. “Sorry, how are you involved in this?” He noticed the look they both shared and the slight nod that Drake gave him.
“I’m Drake’s father.”
“I see.” He hadn’t seen that coming. “Well, you’re not under arrest or anything, Drake. We just want to have a chat at this point so your father can come in with you if you want.”
Drake nodded.
“Okay. Well, follow me then, please.”
Sam led them through the security door that separated the lobby from the rest of the building and to a small side room. The room contained nothing more than a table and four chairs, but it was private. “Take a seat,” he told them as he closed the door.
He waited until they were all seated before he started talking. “You obviously know what this is about or you wouldn’t be here. I’m sure you’re aware that Shelby Simms was murdered in her apartment a few days ago.”
“Yes.”
“And your prints are all over the apartment.”
“Yes, but I had nothing to do with it. I don’t expect you to believe me, though.”
“Actually, I do.”
“You do?” Drake looked at him, clearly surprised.
“Of course. If we thought you were responsible, we would have come looking for you before now and you would have been arrested as soon as you walked into the building.” Sam smiled. “Not many killers leave their fingerprints on just about every surface. One or two, maybe, but we found hundreds of yours.”
“Yeah, well, there would be.”
“Would you care to tell me about your relationship with the victim?” Sam had already guessed, but he needed to have it confirmed.
“She was my girlfriend.”
“Why haven’t you come forward before now?”
He glanced at his father again before replying. “I was in shock.”
Sam nodded, as if that made perfect sense, even though he didn’t believe him for a minute. “Well, you’ll be happy to know we know who killed her. It was someone you know, actually. Angel Romero.
“I know, that’s what I was coming to tell you. How did you know?”
“He left his prints there, too, and someone else confirmed it for us.”
“So that’s an end of it now. Drake can go?” Finn asked.
“Well, not quite an end. We still need to get a conviction, but yes, Drake can go for now. We may need to get a statement at some point in the future, though.” He’d expected him to be pleased, but instead he was staring at him as if he’d seen a ghost. “Are you okay?”
“He’s fine, it’s all just been a bit much,” Finn answered instead. “So you’ve got this Angel guy, then?”
“Yes. He was involved in a shooting earlier today, but we’ve just had word from the hospital that he’s going to make it so he’s going to be charged with the murder of Shelby and the murders of the four other women.” Not to mention the assault on Maria.
“I hope no one else was hurt. In the shooting, I mean,” Finn continued.
“Unfortunately, yes. There was one fatality, but he managed to confirm Angel’s involvement in the murders before he died.” Sam looked at Drake as he answered, confused by the way he was behaving.
“Okay, thank you. We need to get going. Here’s my cell.” Finn took a pen and a scrap of paper from his pocket and jotted his number down. “We’ll be heading back to Brecon Point soon, so if you need to speak to Drake about getting a statement, you’ll be able to get him on that number.” He stood up and tapped Drake on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Sam showed them out to the lobby and watched as they left the building, certain that something had just happened but he had no idea what.
***
Finn held Drake firmly by the arm as he led him out of the station and to his car. “Get in.” Drake did as he was told and didn’t speak until the doors were closed.
“He’s alive. I don’t believe it, the bastard’s alive.”
Finn didn’t believe it, either. He’d seen the head shot. “He’s the luckiest guy alive if he survived that shot, that’s for sure.”
Drake’s fist connecting with the dashboard made Finn jump. “Dammit. All that, and for nothing!”
“No, not for nothing. You had no way of knowing they already had him in their sights. And even if they had,” Finn reasoned, “they never would have had enough to charge him with Shelby’s murder and the other girls if it wasn’t for Juan.”
“So what do I do now?”
“Now you come home. This part of your life is over. Come home, Drake, please.” Finn held his breath, not daring to hope, but after a pause, Drake nodded.
“There’s nothing for me here anymore, is there?”
Finn smiled sadly. “No, there isn’t. But you have a new life to discover. It won’t be easy, and I know that there’s a lot that we’re going to have to work through, but you’ll be home.
Thirty
The bump of the wheels on the runway jolted him out of his reverie. He was home. The events of the last few days seemed surreal, dreamlike. But he had only to look to man sitting in the seat next to him to know that they had happened.
“You okay?” Drake had never flown before and had been nervous the whole trip, gripping the armrests for dear life.
Drake nodded. “I’m fine, just glad we’re down.”
Neither of them had luggage to claim. Finn always traveled light and Drake had had nothing he wanted to bring with him, so they were quickly out of the airport and picking up Finn’s car.
“Are you sure about
this?” Drake asked as they got on the highway and headed for Brecon Point.
“You’re my son, Drake. You’re coming home, where you belong.”
Drake just nodded and turned to look out the window, giving Finn time to think. He was sure, but he had no idea how he was going to tell Kat. Things had taken on a life of their own and he’d never expected to be coming back to Brecon Point with their son. It hadn’t even occurred to him that this would be the way things would turn out. He’d hoped that once he found him, he’d have time to talk to her, explain. When he’d started on this journey, he’d never imagined that he and Kat would be together again; it was simply something that he had to do. As a father. Perhaps if they’d been together at the time, they would have made the decision together. But they weren’t, and now he had to find a way to tell her. He knew he should have told her from the start, even at the risk that he couldn’t be found and her heart would be broken all over again.
He hoped she would feel the same way he did. Ever since he’d found out that Drake existed, he’d felt as if a part of him was missing—and now that he’d found him, he felt complete. He glanced over at him now, and was once again struck by how much he looked like him. I’ve got so much time to make up for.
Drake didn’t speak for the rest of the drive. Finn understood and didn’t push to make conversation. He could only imagine how overwhelmed he must feel and knew that the road ahead wasn’t going to be an easy one.
“We’re nearly there,” Finn told him once there were within a few miles of home.
“It’s nice round here. Quiet. A bit like where I lived as a kid.”
“Well, that’s the only similarity, I promise you.”
In minutes, they were pulling up outside Finn’s house. It felt good to be home and it felt even better to be bringing his son home with him.
“Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
Drake didn’t speak as Finn led him into the house and he could tell he was a bit overwhelmed by it all. “Look, I know this is a lot to take in so I’m not going to push you. If you want to talk, I’m here. If you don’t, we won’t. Just know that things are different now, Drake. You’ll never have to be alone again.
Now I just have to tell Kat before someone else does.
Thirty-One
She was so excited. She hadn’t told Finn on the phone when he’d called from the airport in LA to say that he would be leaving soon, but she’d just received notification that her adoption of Daniel had been approved. He was going to become her son, part of her family forever.
She’d considered waiting until Finn was there before telling Daniel, but had decided against it. This was their moment, hers and Daniel’s and Jamie’s, and she couldn’t wait for him to get home from school so she could give him the news. She’d already called Jamie at work and asked her to come home early, refusing all her attempts to find out why. Now she was practically hopping from foot to foot in excitement. Where are they?
Jamie arrived home first, laughing when she caught Kat waiting in the hall looking fit to burst.
“This is about the adoption, isn’t it?” she grinned. “They said yes, didn’t they?”
Kat couldn’t help herself and let out a little squeal of joy. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”
“Oh, Kat, I’m so happy.”
Kat let herself be enveloped in a hug. She felt happier than she could ever remember. “Do you think he’ll be happy?” She was worried now that she should have talked about it with him first. What if he didn’t want to be adopted and said no? What if he was happy staying as they were?
Jamie pulled back and held her at arm’s length. “Are you nuts? Of course he’ll be happy. He loves you, Kat. He’ll be absolutely thrilled.”
“Who will be absolutely thrilled about what?”
They hadn’t heard him come in and they both turned to see Daniel standing just inside the front door.
“Hey, baby, how was your day at school?” Kat went over and hugged him, kissing the top of his head.
“Same as always.” He cocked his head to one side. “So, come on, what were you talking about?”
Kat exchanged a glance with Jamie over the top of his head and smiled. “Put your bag down and come into to the living room. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Kat went ahead and sat on the couch, patting the seat next to her. “Come and sit here next to me.” She waited until he was sitting down and then took both his hands in hers and looked him in the eye. This was the moment she had been waiting for and it was finally here. “Daniel, baby, do you like living here with us? With me?”
“Of course I do. I love it here.” He suddenly looked panicked. “Why? Is something wrong? Do I have to leave?”
“Oh, no!” Kat was quick to reassure him. “Not at all. I just wondered if you would like to make it more permanent.” She took a deep breath. “I’d like to adopt you. I want you to be my son. Officially.” She searched his eyes, trying to gauge his reaction. “How would you feel about that?”
Daniel didn’t speak, instead throwing his arms around her neck and nearly knocking her over. “Yes, please!”
Kat wrapped her arms around him tightly and held him to her. She could feel his little chest heaving and she knew he was crying. “Hey, it’s okay. This is a good thing,” she soothed, tears in her own eyes as she smiled at Jamie.
“I know.” His voice caught on a sob. “I’m just so happy. Does this mean I can call you Mom?”
Kat couldn’t take any more and the tears rolled down her cheeks. “Of course you can. I’d be honored if you did.”
The phone chose that moment to ring and Jamie got up to answer it, wiping the tears from her face as she left the room. “It’s for you. It’s Finn.” She handed the handset to Kat as she came back into the room.
Letting go of Daniel, Kat took the phone. “Hey, are you back?” She couldn’t wait to see him.
“Just got in. I just wanted to let you know so that you can stop worrying.”
“You know me too well!” She was bursting to tell him her good news but wanted to wait until she saw him. “So, are you going to drop your stuff off and come on up?
“Actually Kat, do you mind if I don’t? It’s been a really long few days and I’m exhausted.”
“Oh.” She quickly recovered. “Of course, no problem. Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Of course. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” She put the phone down and frowned. She had to admit she was disappointed. Since they’d gotten back together, they’d hardly spent a night apart and she’d assumed he’d be as excited to see her as she was him. It would appear you’re wrong. No kidding.
“Everything okay?” Jamie was eyeing her with a concerned look on her face.
“Oh, yes, of course.” She smiled. “No problem. He’s just tired so he won’t be up tonight.” Well, she wasn’t going to let him ruin her evening. “So, family, what are we going to do to celebrate our new member?” She would see Finn tomorrow and that would have to be soon enough. For now, it was all about Daniel.
Thirty-Two
There was nothing he wanted to do more right now than head straight up to the house and take Kat in his arms, but he couldn’t. He could tell she’d been quite surprised when he’d told her that he would stay at his own place tonight, but she’d understood when he’d explained that he was worn out and just wanted to get an early night. The truth was that he was scared. Scared of how she would react when he told her about Drake, and he wanted just a bit more time to prepare. He was only delaying the inevitable, he knew that, but he wanted to let her have one more night before he turned her world on its axis. He also needed some time with Drake. Things had happened so fast they hadn’t had time to sit down and really talk, and he was sure the kid had a lot of questions.
“Nice place,” Drake said as he appeared in the kitchen.
“Thanks. You got enough room up there?” He’d given him the guest room and told him to get settled in.
>
“Yep, it’s not like I have a lot of stuff.”
“Let’s eat.” He grabbed the bowl of pasta he’d just made and walked to dining room. Taking a couple of plates from the cupboard, he set two places and they sat down to eat. Neither of them spoke as they ate, each lost in their own thoughts, but it was not an uncomfortable silence.
“So, did you live here when I was born?”
Finn looked up from his food at the question but Drake wasn’t looking at him. “No, I lived at home with my parents then. I’d just finished high school.”
“I guess a kid at that age would have cramped your style some.”
Finn couldn’t detect any malice in his tone. He said it as if he were just stating a fact. Finn put down his fork and pushed his plate away. “Drake, what I told you before was true. I never knew about you. But I promise you, if I had, you would never have been put up for adoption. Never.”
Drake looked up and met his eyes. “So why didn’t my mother tell you? Did she just want the easy option?”
The pain in his eyes was unmistakable and Finn was pleased to see it. It meant that he was getting through, getting behind the bravado and the indifferent façade that he’d been seeing since they’d met. “I can’t speak for her, Drake, but I do know it was the hardest thing she’s ever had to do and she truly thought she had no other choice.”
“And you’ve forgiven her?”
Finn nodded. “Yes. But it has taken time. When I first found out about you, about what she’d done, I was devastated and, to be honest, I think I hated her for a little while.”
“But not anymore?”
Finn smiled. “No, not anymore. I know she did what she thought was right and how can you hate someone for that?”
Drake seemed to digest this for a moment. “Are you disappointed?”
“Disappointed? About what?”
“Well, I can’t exactly be the son you’d always hoped for, can I? Gang member, killer, and those are just the things you know about. I’ve done a lot of things that I’m not proud of.”
The McKays Box Set - To Kill For, Blood Sport, Hard Time & Gang Land Page 49